The
evening of August 7 saw the timely intervention of PI Sudesh Naik save a
woman’s life and foil her suicide bid, as she attempted to jump off the Mandovi
Bridge in a bid to end her life. In her suicide note, she stated that the main
reason behind her wanting to end it all was the fact that she was neglected,
abandoned and unloved by her children and as such, had no reason to go on. With
growing globalisation and immigration, the number of older people being left
behind in their native area is constantly increasing and Goa does not deviate
from that trend.
Charlene
Farrell, a guidance counsellor opines “In many of these cases, the parents do
not know how to adjust to a different role in life, as they had been the
caregivers in the relationship all along. As time passes, they turn into the
dependents. Earlier, with the joint family system in place, there was always
someone at hand to provide the company they required, which does not happen
within the nuclear system. Thus, a kind of ‘Emptiness Syndrome’ sets in.” In
similar vein, Nancy Martins (name changed to withhold identity), a former
inhabitant of an unnamed home for the aged in Saligao shares her experiences,
saying “I know that my son and daughter love me, but these situations can’t be
helped. As parents, we have to accept that their lives go on and sometimes, in
the process, we will get left behind.”
With
this stark reality staring what was once a family community in the face, we
speak to individuals that work within the area psychological care to understand
what can be done in terms of resolving the issue:
